China urges halt of THAAD deployment in ROK

China on Wednesday urged the United Statesand the Republic of Korea (ROK) to halt the the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in the ROK.

Earlier in the day, the ROK's defense ministry announced an agreement with the United States to deploy the U.S. missile defense system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to its southeastern region despite continued opposition from neighboring countries.

The THAAD deployment would gravely damage the strategic balance in the region as well as the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a routine press briefing.

The move also contravenes efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, he said, reaffirming China's strong opposition to it.

He warned that China will take necessary measures to safeguard its own interests if the United States and ROK don't stop the deployment.

According to media reports, one THAAD battery will be deployed to the Seongsan-ri region of Seongju County in North Gyeongsang Province, where the ROK Air Force's Hawk surface-to-air missile battery is located.